pos·ture

2. Zoology A position of an animal's body or body parts, especially for the purpose of communication: a dog's submissive posture.

3. Relative placement or arrangement: the posture of the buildings on the land.

4. A condition or state under certain circumstances: the nation's posture in the world economy.

5.

a. An attitude or way of behaving, especially when adopted to have an effect on others: assumed a posture of angry defiance.

b. An approach or policy with regard to something: adjusting the government's defense posture.

v.pos·tured, pos·tur·ing, pos·tures

v.intr.

1. To assume a certain, often exaggerated body position; pose.

2. To assume a certain attitude or behave in a certain way, especially to make an impression or gain an advantage: "They postured as Southern Loyalists to win the support of ex-Confederates"(James M. Smallwood).

3. Zoology To assume a certain position of the body or of body parts, often as part of a display.

v.tr.

1. To put into a specific posture; pose: The photographer postured the model.

2. To place in a certain arrangement or condition: an army that was postured for defense.

[French, from Italian postura, from Latin positūra, position, from positus, past participle of pōnere, to place; see apo- in Indo-European roots.]

pos′tur·al adj.

pos′tur·er, pos′tur·ist n.

Synonyms: posture, attitude, carriage, pose1, stance These nouns denote a position of the body and limbs: erect posture; an attitude of prayer; dignified carriage; a reclining pose; an athlete's alert stance.

posture

(ˈpɒstʃə)

n

1. a position or attitude of the limbs or body

2. a characteristic manner of bearing the body; carriage: to have good posture.

3. the disposition of the parts of a visible object

4. a mental attitude or frame of mind

5. a state, situation, or condition

6. a false or affected attitude; pose

vb

7. to assume or cause to assume a bodily position or attitude

8. (intr) to assume an affected or unnatural bodily or mental posture; pose

[C17: via French from Italian postura, from Latin positūra, from pōnere to place]

ˈposturaladj

ˈposturern

pos•ture

(ˈpɒs tʃər)

n., v. -tured, -tur•ing.n.

1. the position of the limbs or the carriage of the body as a whole.

2. an affected or unnatural attitude.

3. the relative disposition of the parts of something.

4. a mental or spiritual attitude.

5. a policy or stance, as that adopted by a company or government.

6. position, condition, or state, as of affairs.

v.t.

7. to place in a particular posture or attitude.

v.i.

8. to assume a particular posture.

9. to assume affected or unnatural postures, as by bending or contorting the body.

10. to act in an affected or artificial manner, as to create a certain impression.

Posture

Arched like a cavalry horse getting a whiff of the battlefield —Katherine Anne Porter

A back like a marine drill instructor’s … straight as a rifle shot —Loren D. Estleman

Bolt upright like drawn bayonets —Aharon Megged

Erect as a candle —Isak Dinesen

Dinesen used this simile in a short story, The de Cats Family. Because many a simile is hard to establish as one writer’s creative invention, it should come as no surprise that it also appeared in Ignazio Silone’s novel, The Secret of Luca.

Erect as a cavalry officer —Francine du Plessis Gray

Erect as a Grecian pillar —Anon

Held his shoulders back as though they were braced, and he sucked in his stomach like a soldier —John Steinbeck

Her back is curved like a shell —Louise Erdrich

Her entire posture seemed to have bunched up like a fist —Robert B. Parker

Her spine droops like a dying daisy —Ira Wood

Huddled up like a pale misshapen piece of pastry —Hugh Walpole

Hunched his shoulders like a fighter tensing for a blow —Harvey Swados

Hunched like a cowboy that hears a rattler —Paul Theroux

Theroux’s simile was particularly apt for the photographer-heroine of his novel, Picture Palace.

Hunched, like a man made lintel-shy by too many cracks on the head through adolescence —Harold Adams

attitude, mental attitude - a complex mental state involving beliefs and feelings and values and dispositions to act in certain ways; "he had the attitude that work was fun"

hard line - a firm and uncompromising stance or position; "the governor took a hard line on drugs"

point of view, standpoint, viewpoint, stand - a mental position from which things are viewed; "we should consider this problem from the viewpoint of the Russians"; "teaching history gave him a special point of view toward current events"

4.

posture - capability in terms of personnel and materiel that affect the capacity to fight a war; "we faced an army of great strength"; "politicians have neglected our military posture"

artistic creation, artistic production, art - the creation of beautiful or significant things; "art does not need to be innovative to be good"; "I was never any good at art"; "he said that architecture is the art of wasting space beautifully"

display, exhibit, expose - to show, make visible or apparent; "The Metropolitan Museum is exhibiting Goya's works this month"; "Why don't you show your nice legs and wear shorter skirts?"; "National leaders will have to display the highest skills of statesmanship"

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